


To The Woods

by SaucyWench



Series: Cups and Roses [14]
Category: Being Human (UK), The Almighty Johnsons
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9479195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaucyWench/pseuds/SaucyWench
Summary: A fill for the Winter Fandom Raffle Exchange!  You should go to Tumblr and look at all the amazing works already posted!Prompt - "You don't belong here."Mitchell goes with Anders to a family thing.





	

When Mitchell had asked to ride along with Anders for a family thing, he didn’t expect it to be in the middle of nowhere.  Sure, Anders told him they needed to go to the woods, but he thought it was closer.  City boy that he was, he had imagined something more like a park and less like actual wilderness.  They had left pavement behind long ago, and now the car was bouncing along a dirt trail, and looking out of the car window showed nothing but trees in all directions.  He hadn’t been out in the woods since… he couldn’t remember when.  Since he was turned into a vampire, maybe?  Whenever it was, it had been a long time. 

No matter, because Anders pulled to the side of the rough track and needlessly announced, “We’re here.”  He got out, shutting his door with a thump.

Mitchell followed Anders’ lead.  As soon as his foot hit the dirt, he was uneasy.  It was too quiet out here.  He stood with one foot on the ground, the other still in the car, and listened to nothing. 

That wasn’t entirely true, though.  He could hear birds calling, and there was something small on the other side of a nearby tree with its heart fluttering.  The rapid hammering of a woodpecker sounded, and in the distance Olaf was laughing.  It was just all noise he wasn’t accustomed to hearing.  He was used to a background of cars driving, people talking, phones ringing, and all the other day to day sounds of civilized life.  Out here was anything but civilized. 

“Are you coming?”

The question startled Mitchell.  He’d been intent on his surroundings and forgotten about Anders.  He shut the car door quietly, pressing it closed until it latched.  It felt like there was something in the forest and making a loud noise would draw unwanted attention.  He told himself he was being silly, that no matter what was in these woods it couldn’t take down a vampire.  It still put him on edge. 

Anders held his hand out and Mitchell took it. Mitchell kept glancing over at him.  Usually when he had to meet with his family, Anders developed a sort of manic tension visible in the way he acted and held his body.  None of it was apparent now.  Anders looked as relaxed as if he were in his own living room.

It wasn’t far, but Mitchell felt like they had walked for miles before they came upon a clearing.  Mike was standing with one hip slung out, bouncing a rock from hand to hand and talking to Axl and Ty.  Olaf was sitting with his back to a tree and eyes closed.  They all looked at ease, contrasting with how Mitchell felt.

Olaf didn’t open his eyes, but called, “Hello Anders, Mitchell.”

“About time,” Mike said.  None of his usual rancor was in the tone, though.  “Let’s get this over with.”

Anders dropped Mitchell’s hand and pulled off his jacket.  He held it out to Mitchell and asked, “Hold this for me, will you?”

“No one has to get naked this time,” Axl said with a grin.  “We’d prefer if you didn’t, actually.”

Anders ignored that.  After Mitchell took the jacket, he joined his brothers in a loose circle.  Olaf stood and stepped forward into the space they left for him.  Axl bent and picked up a sword from where it was lying in the grass as Mike turned around and set the rock on the ground.

The effect was immediate.  An invisible wall slammed up between Mitchell and the Johnsons, threading between the circle of stones surrounding them.  It radiated a force that Mitchell could feel, and it fucking burned.  Mitchell dropped Anders’ jacket to the ground, fangs extending and eyes flashing black as he hissed.  He didn’t know what this was, but he wanted Anders out of it.  He took a step forward, intending to pull Anders out of that searing energy, but the pain got worse when the Johnsons all looked at him. 

Axl lifted the sword, not to threaten but only to gesture with it as he said, “You don’t belong here.”

Mitchell froze as he met Axl’s eyes.  Axl wasn’t there anymore.  This was Odin, the All-Father, king of the gods.  He looked like Axl, and maybe Axl was still there too, but this was Odin speaking.  His posture was straighter and he had an aura of authority that Axl never did.  He held the sword with a practiced ease that said he knew how to use it.  

Looking from face to face, Mitchell felt a thrill of fear trickle down his back.  All of them were different, standing in that current of power.  Their eyes were brighter, almost glowing, and they seemed taller.  Despite their familiarity, they seemed dangerous.  Olaf smiled at him while Mike watched with a sharp gaze, one predator to another.  Ty’s normally friendly expression was cold and closed off.  Axl waited patiently, still gripping the sword, to see what Mitchell would do.  Mitchell looked at Anders last. 

Anders had his hands in the pockets of his slacks, rolling forward and bouncing on the balls of his feet.  It was something he’d seen Anders do several times, and it made him wonder how often Bragi was close to the surface.  Anders was standing in a patch of sunlight, and his eyes were blazing. 

The thrill of fear broke into gooseflesh when Mitchell realized that right now, he might be the closest thing to a human in this forest.

“You should go wait at the car, Mitchell.”  The words came from Anders, but were backed up by Bragi’s power. 

Mitchell flinched back.  Normally Bragi’s voice had no effect on him.  Here, in the gods’ wood, their sacred spot, each word lashed across his skin, leaving stinging trails.  He wouldn’t be surprised if he found welts later.  He nodded and turned away.  He didn’t want anything to do with the gods today.  He stumbled back to the car, all the while feeling the scalding power pressing against his back, urging him away. 

It was a relief to reach the car.  He leaned against the cool metal, bending and letting his forehead lay on the roof.  He could hear the sounds of the forest around him, but he couldn’t hear any of the conversation between the gods.  He could still feel the thrumming of their circle of power from here.  Was this what it felt like deep in the ocean for things that never saw daylight?  It was good he didn’t need to breathe or he might drown out here, far away from the nearest shoreline. 

A sub audible pop, and the crushing pressure was gone.  He straightened and looked around, but there was no difference.  He wiped a hand across his face, clearing away the dregs of godly power clinging to his skin before he got into the car.

A short while later, Anders came walking out of the woods.  Mitchell watched carefully, but it looked like Bragi was tucked away again, into wherever he went.  Anders was carrying the jacket Mitchell had abandoned on the ground and looked tired. 

Anders got into the driver’s seat and started the car.  He didn’t leave yet.  He leaned back and sighed.  “Sorry about that.  Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”  Mitchell watched his profile for a second before asking, “What was that back there?”

Anders shot a sideways glance at Mitchell.  “I’ve told you before.  I’m a god.”

Mitchell nodded, hearing traces of Bragi under Anders’ voice, and let the conversation drop.  He had a lot to think about.  He still didn’t fully understand what had happened, and Mitchell didn’t want to experience the bad side of that godly power. 

He remembered how it felt to be the focus of attention for five gods and fought back a shiver.  A vampire didn’t seem like the ultimate apex predator anymore, and he was glad the gods didn’t feed on humans like he did.  Or did they?  He didn’t know anything about Norse mythology.

How many other vessels were running around?  There were the goddesses of course, and Anders had mentioned a couple of other gods in passing.  There had to be more they didn’t know about, since Axl was searching for Odin’s Frigg.  What powers would they all have here on earth? 

Mitchell decided that he’d swing by the library on his next day off.  It wouldn’t hurt to do a little research and at least made at stab at being prepared.  He’d still do what he could to protect Anders. 

Even if it meant going to war with gods.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, kudos, and comments! 
> 
> As always, I am over at Tumblr. Feel free to leave a prompt, tell me about your headcanons, or just say hi! 
> 
> [ [My personal blog] ](http://myseri.tumblr.com/)  
> [[My writing blog]](http://saucywenchwritingblog.tumblr.com/)  
> 


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